Carriage-top



I No Model.)

0. LL PRITGHARD.

CARRIAGE TOP.

No. 366,129. Patented July 5, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

CHARLES L. PRITGHARD, OF DUBUQUE, IOWVA.

CARRIAGE-TOP.

SJPECIPICATION fOIming part of Letters Patent No. 366,129, dated July 5, 1857.

Application filed September 25, 1886. Serial No. M4516. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. PRITOHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage Tops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

My invention relates to an improvement in means for spreading and folding the tops of buggies, 850., which shall be cheaper to manufacture, easier to apply, and more convenient and easier to operate; and the novelty lies in the details of construction and in the combined arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

For a better understanding of the same, at tention is invited to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a front view showing the parts folded, and showing in dotted lines the position of the parts when spread; Fig. 2, a vertical section through a portion of the center bow and the means for spreading and folding the top; Fig. 3, a detail of the adjusting andlocking means; and Fig. 4, a perspective in detail of the adjustable plate, looking at it from the rear.

Like letters refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

A denotes the main or center bow of a buggy-top,and B B the two branch bows,which are pivotally attached to the former by means of metal straps b b, that are riveted to the projecting ends 0 c of a metal plate, 0, secured to the main or center bow, A. These branch bows B B have another connection with the main or center bow, A,by means of two braces, D D, which are pivoted at their outer ends to the bows B B, near their centers, and extend across to the bow A, where their inner ends are loosely riveted to the side flanges, c e, of a plate, E. This plate E is attached to and is rendered adjustable up and down upon a vertical guide-bar, E, (secured to the bow A,) by means of an eyebolt or hook, F. This bolt F is round, or substantially so, and of substantially the same diameter throughout, and consists of a screw-threaded shank provided on the inner end with an eye or hook, which encircles the guide-bar E, while the shank passes through a cylindrical socket, f, of the plate E, and is provided with a tightening handnut, G. The guide-bar E is round and is bent down and flattened at its ends,where it is secured to the bow A byscrews or the like. To render the adjustment of the plate E upon this guide-bar easy and effectivent is necessary that these parts, together with the eye or hook of the bolt F, should be made to fit together in the most perfect manner, and accordingly the said plate E is provided in the back with two intersecting semicircular recesses, f and f with smooth bores, the former being vertical,so as to snugly fit partly around the guidebar E, and the latter being at right angles thereto, so as to likewise fit the hook or eye. of the bolt F. By this construction of the plate E, when the hand-nut Gis tightened, the said plate is clamped to the bar E with such firmness and fit as to make it impossible .for the parts to loosen or relax themselves voluntarily, and when the nut is loosened the recess f acts as a guide and enables the plate to be moved up or down with more ease and with less friction. Another advantage arising from the construction is that the use of the hand-nut G is rendered quicker and more effective, because the parts fit so nicely in the recesses of the plate that they do not become disengaged from the same when the nut is loosened, so that but a partial turn of the nut either way is sufficient to tighten or loosen the parts.

To fold or spread the top, the hand-nut G is loosened,so as to loosen the hold of the eyebolton the guide-bar E. By pressing or drawing the hand-nut down, the bows B B are'thrown outward from the bow A to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, which spreads the top, and by raising this hand-nut the bows B B are drawn up to the bow A, as shown by solid lines in said figure, which folds the top. When the top is spread or folded, either position can be securely maintained by tightening this hand-nut G, which tightens the hold of the eyebolt F upon the guide-bar E.

It will be obvious that without the exercise of invention the guide-bar and the hook or eye of the bolt could be made otherwise than round, which would of course require a similar change in the form of the recesses in the back of the plate E; but for the best results I prefer the exact construction and combination herein described.

I am aware that in the'patent to Deline, No. 236,002, of December 28, 1880, the spreading and folding of the top are accomplished by means of two sleeves adjustable up and down upon a vertical bar; and I am also aware that the clamping device shown in the'patent of Ege, No. 311,731, of February 3, 1885, em-

- braces a stationary plate with a serrated recessin the back, together with a screw-threaded bolt having a sleeve on the inner end, which fits wholly within said recess and encircles a sliding bar, and lay no claim to either 0011- I struction; but,

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a buggy-top, the co1nbination,with the center bow, A, the branch bows B B, and the guidebar E, secured to said center bow, of means for spreading and folding the top, consisting of the flanged sliding plate E, the eyebolt or hook F and .its hand-nut G, and the braces D D, pivoted to said sliding plate and to said branch bows, substantially as described and shown.

2. In abuggy-top, the combination, with the center bow,A, the branch bows B B, and a vertical guide-bar, E, secured to said center bow, of means for spreading and foldingthe top,con,- sisting of a bolt, F, having an eye or hook encircling said guide-bar, and a screw-threaded shank provided with a hand-nut, G, a sliding plate, E, having side flanges, e e, a cylindrical socket, f, at the center to receive the shank of the bolt F, and two intersecting semicircular recesses, f and f, on the baclghaving smooth bores, and adapted to fit partly around the guide-bar E and the hook or eye of the bolt F, and two braces, D D, pivoted to the branch bows and to the flanges e e of the plate E,substantially as described, sho\vn,and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 

